Written evidence: The invisibility of adult social care and its consequences

Adult social care is not so much invisible as ignored. The sector is chronically underfunded and undervalued, leading to a fragmented, dysfunctional system in which service users’ needs are unmet and workforce’s issues unrecognised. Resolving the invisibility of adult social care requires major changes, including transforming the public perception of adult social care, substantial investment in the workforce, and addressing the funding deficit. The invisibility of adult social care exacerbates the stigma experienced by people drawing on care services and their carers. Individuals belonging to marginalised groups are impacted by this to a greater extent. The current purpose of adult social care as defined by the Care Act is too narrow, reinforcing the notion of invisibility. The key challenges for the future are: ageing without children, availability of informal care, housing, the economics of care and the sustainability of the adult social care workforce. True integration of health and social care (from access to delivery) could reverse the fragmentation of the care sector and enable people to access the support they need when they need it.